India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar discussed team dynamics and the roles of senior players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He highlighted the importance of senior players accepting their exclusion from the playing XI for the benefit of the team. He emphasized that having statesmen like Ashwin and Jadeja makes this transition smoother.
Nayar referenced the recent exclusion of both Ashwin and Jadeja from the first Test against Australia in Perth. Washington Sundar was chosen based on current form and batting proficiency on bouncy pitches.
While Jadeja’s batting skills usually guarantee him a spot in overseas Tests, the team opted for a different strategy in this instance.
“It’s only tough when you have seniors who don’t understand it. But when you have seniors like Jaddu and Ash who understand what the team is trying to do, it becomes very easy, because the team first policy is something that Rohit and Gauti bhai believe in,” Nayar, a former Mumbai Ranji stalwart, told reporters on the eve of India’s two-day practice game against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.
He commended both Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir for promoting a team-first philosophy. He believed the entire team, including veteran spinners Ashwin and Jadeja, have embraced this approach.
“I feel they have all bought into it. So I felt very happy that Jaddu and Ashwin are going to help the younger guys so that they do well here. It wasn’t very hard (to explain them) and culture is such that everyone wants Team India to win,” the former all-rounder said.
Nayar addressed the potential role of spinners in the upcoming matches. He offered a general perspective on their involvement.
“I always feel in a game of cricket, nobody is out of the game and whether you are a spinner or a fast bowler, you are always in with a chance.”
Nayar explained that a bowler’s plans and delivery style might need adjustments depending on the conditions. This is especially true when facing a pink ball, due to limited experience with it.
“Yes, your plans will change, how you release the ball and at what pace, will change, which is why you want to prepare with it (pink ball).”
He remained optimistic about the chances of top-class spinners, even with the challenges presented by the pink ball.
“May be, a little more challenging than the red ball and primarily because you haven’t bowled as much with pink ball. But I believe any top class spinner will have an opportunity,” he added.